AN: Lucky you, (or unlucky, however you view it) since I've started the prompts a day late, I'm uploading two chapters today. Thank you for the reviews so far!

Hot Chocolate

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The chiming bells over the door had the opposite of desired affect on Rocky. Instead of the calming, relaxed atmosphere it was meant to create, it drove her mad. Bells meant another customer, another wild card. Reasonable person? Unreasonable person? She never knew until she spoke to them. The bell meant options, options that she wasn't particularly aware of, and yes, that did drive her a little insane. Rocky Blue was a girl who liked to know what she was facing, when she was facing it, and if it was going to be a problem. Bells didn't give that to her.

For most of the year, she was able to deal with the incessant chiming, but that level of tolerance faded around the holidays. She had begun working at Starbucks around Christmas time of the previous year, and had quickly learned that all of the employees there hated the season with a passion. Christmas meant new flavors on the menu, more advertisements, more business. Yes, it was good for the company, but the effect was similar to that of a month-round, never ending rush hour for her.

"I'll have a peppermint hot chocolate." Rocky vaguely registered the words in the back of her mind, but didn't bother to even turn to the source. Today she was one of the workers in charge of making the orders instead of manning the register, which meant her concentration was focused on moving and doing at a constant speed. There was a tap on her shoulder and she turned, raising an eyebrow. Dina gave her a small, supportive smile.

"Peppermint hot chocolate. Try not to steam it so much this time, Blue." Rocky nodded to acknowledge Dina's words. She had a small history with burning the mouths of those that drunk what she created whenever stressed.

Her attention turned back to the machine that pumped out steaming water, turning the handle to fill a cup she had grabbed. Once full, she followed the line of her duties, ensuring that nothing too much or too little was put into the beverage. Dina kept a watchful eye on her which, for Rocky, did not go unnoticed. Though she was thankful that her friend had the job alongside her, she was a controlling individual, not a good mix whenever Rocky could be considered the same many times. She took her job at Starbucks just about as seriously as someone working part time could, and yet Dina didn't seem to appreciate her effort at all.

Once finished, Rocky put a lid on the hot chocolate, turning to John at the register. "Name?" She asked, uncapping a sharpie and positioning it to write on the side.

"LR," John read off a card, before tossing it into the trash. Rocky inked what she assumed to be initials into the cup, slipping a protective strip of cardboard around it and sliding it to the corner of the counter.

"Peppermint hot chocolate," she called into the shop, hands not yet leaving the drink.

"Did you put a protector on it?"

Rocky turned to Dina, indicating to the cardboard. "Yes, Dina. I'm not completely incapable." Dina quirked an eyebrow, smirking at Rocky, who in turn rolled her eyes and moved to face back front ways. Before she could begin to adjust again, however, her hand knocked into the cup and tipped it over on the counter, the hot liquid immediately running from the top of its lid. "Oh, crap," Rocky stressed, fixing the cup as soon as she could, before all of the contents had spilled. She looked up to see a slightly confused and just as damp CeCe.

"Ohmygondola, CeCewhatareyoudoinghereohI'msosorry -" the words came out into one rushed string, Rocky's head shaking with more force the faster the words poured from her mouth. CeCe stopped the flow by reaching for the cup and pulling it towards herself, eyes fixed on Rocky's hand.

"You kinda spilled it on yourself," she pointed out, head nodding towards her hand. Rocky turned down to see that her hand was covered in hot chocolate, which was, yes, now that she realized, hot.

"Oh, wow."

"Sorry," CeCe chuckled, reaching for a few napkins that were placed out to the side. She reached for Rocky's hand first, patting delicately at the skin there before rubbing to make sure all of the liquid was gone. "I guess I made more a mess than I meant." Her attention moved to the counter, which she scrubbed much harder than she had Rocky's hand.

At a loss for words, Rocky stammered, "you came here meaning to make a mess?"

CeCe smirked. "Always do."

Rocky realized how against protocol it was to let a customer clean up a mess that you've made, and took the napkins from CeCe's hand abruptly, dropping them in the trash next to her. She reached for a few fresh ones, getting back to work on the counter herself. "Thanks, but my boss'll kill me if anyone but me cleans this up." Rocky paused, looking up and studying CeCe. "No, really, what are you doing here?"

CeCe shrugged, fingers ghosting over the sides of the tabletop. "I missed you."

"Don't you have class?"

"Mmm," CeCe hummed, eyes closing as she swayed. "Don't ruin the moment. Class…school…shhh." Rocky rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to scold CeCe on the importance of school and yada yada, only to be interrupted by her own thoughts.

"Wait, LR. What's that mean?" She asked, causing CeCe's eyes to blink open in surprise.

"What? Oh, yeah. You were the one who came up with it." CeCe raised both eyebrows, as though that would clue Rocky in. "Little Red."

"Oh!" Rocky instantly smiled. "You remember that?"

"I obviously do, I dunno about you…"

"I remember," Rocky stated firmly, crossing her arms. "I could never forget it, my little red." Slowly, she moved her hand to cover CeCe's, tilting her head to the side as she did so. She pulled it back only to begin tracing circles in the skin there, an amused smile playing on her lips. CeCe licked her lips, eyes flashing to Rocky's, mouth opening to speak. Dina's voice startled them both out of the small reverie.

"Okay, gross, you two, I'm going to be sick." Both of their heads turned to her. Rocky's smile faded while CeCe's remained bright as ever. "Your shift is over in an hour, can't you wait to do this then?" Rocky mouthed a silent no, and CeCe squeezed her hand once more before pulling back.

"Dina's right, you've got work, I've got class to not be at." She slid what was left of her hot chocolate across the surface of the counter before raising it to her lips and taking a small drink. "But," she sang, "I'll be back in an hour. And then…" CeCe left the sentence open ended, turning to Rocky with a quickly returned grin. Her gaze lingered even as she began to walk, until she finally turned to face the door and walked out of the coffee shop, hand pushing against the door lightly, a touch strong enough only to open it.

Rocky thought that maybe, sometimes, bells were okay.